Reasons for the increasing numbers of independent college students are considered, with attention to the provision for independent students in the Basic Educational Opportunity Grant (Pell) program. The availability of grants to independent students may have two consequences: college students under age 22 with access to parental resources might…

Issues in student financial need analysis are considered, based on the work of the Committee on Standards of Ability to Pay (CSAP) of the College Scholarship Service. The three major sections of the paper concern: CSAP's preliminary recommendations for changes in the 1986-1987 Uniform Methodology; a review of some of the methodological issues that…

Silber's proposed Tuition Advance Fund for undergraduate student financial aid is criticized. It is suggested that what the TAF would do is substitute the student's borrowing from the government for what the parents now contribute to higher educaiton. (LBH)

Current federal definitions and proposed alternative definitions of financially independent students, and the effect of the definitions on the numbers and attributes of independent students, are reviewed. Current federal law defines financial aid applicants as financially independent of their parents if they meet three criteria (the "tri-form"…

A proposed Tuition Advance Fund is advocated as a solution to the student financial aid and loan default problem for undergraduate students in degree programs at accredited institutions. Qualifying students could borrow funds for three years and repay in the future through payroll withholding or estimated tax payments. (LBH)

Hearings on reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965 focus on the needs analysis system for student aid programs. One proposal recommends restructuring the Pell Grant Program to target its support on low-income students and to make it more sensitive to the costs of different types of colleges. Recommendations include: implementing a…

This publication identifies a variety of situations in which it may be necessary to use professional judgement in the needs analysis of students requesting financial aid. Alternatives are suggested to aid administrators in more sensitively assessing the ability of a family to pay for postsecondary education. The intent is to describe alternative…

Volume IV of a study of program management procedures in the campus-based and Basic Educational Opportunity Grant (BEOG) programs deals with a set of simulated modifications in the statements made by BEOG applicants about their financial circumstances. Various kinds of misrepresentation of income, assets, and other factors are postulated, and the…

The application of professional judgment in reviewing and, if necessary, adjusting the results of need analyses in student financial aid is discussed. Specifically, guidelines and alternatives are provided that may be exercised in determining a family's reasonable ability to provide for postsecondary educational expenses. The following topics are…

The Basic Educational Opportunity Grant program, the largest federal student aid program, is explained. The method by which a student's eligibility is determined is described in detail. In a section on calculation of eligibility for dependent students, two worksheets are provided: that for families with no farm or business assets, and those with…

The 1992 reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA) made changes in the need analysis formulas that determine the expected family contribution (EFC) used in awarding Title IV Federal student aid, altered the definition of an independent student, lowered the family size offset for independent students without dependents, eliminated home…

The Guaranteed Student Loan Program (GSLP) and other forms of financial aid are described under the following headings: (1) the Guaranteed Student Loan Program (what the program is; how much and when to borrow; the student loan; the Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) Program; guidelines for the independent undergraduate--the…

This comprehensive guide to financial aid takes college-bound students through a step-by-step process of defining their monetary needs and locating sources of finance to meet those needs. Part I provides "Useful Things to Know," including an overview of college in the eighties, 20 tips for hard times, and misconceptions that can cost time and…